Shelf Life, Richmond, VA

Shelf Life is an institution in Carytown, Richmond. The former Chop Suey bookshop rose to fame due to its feline co-workers and excellent curation of books - earning it a spot in Evan Friss’ book The Bookshop (one of the initial drivers behind this project). 

Luckily for us booklovers, the legacy lives on under the new owners, Chris and Berkley McDaniel. The storefront is adorned with a rainbow flag declaring “Abide No Hatred” next to one that encourages patrons to “Practice Radical Empathy”. Shelf Life is not afraid to say what they stand for, and that messaging continues as you step through its doors: You are greeted by bookshelves filled with contemporary titles - carefully curated to give voice to topics that are taboo around most dinner tables. It’s intentional as Chris McDaniel, co-owner of Shelf Life, explained, “Shelf Life Books aims to center marginalized voices. Readers know they can find quality books representing many life experiences and perspectives here.” 

Chris and Berkley took over the former Chop Suey Books after retiring from corporate America. “We always talked about owning a bookstore after we retired from our corporate jobs. When presented with the opportunity to purchase our favorite bookstore in Richmond, we didn't hesitate! Today, Shelf Life Books is the largest independent bookstore in Richmond, VA. We have new books on our lower level and five rooms of used books upstairs. Two cats, Page and Mylar, roam their bookish queendom.”, Chris explained.

Once you work your way through the ground floor - brimming with an excellent selection of current affairs to fiction to a sizable collection of comics and manga - you  climb a narrow staircase to the second floor. There, you’ll find yourself in one of the greatest selections of used books in the city of Richmond. One entire room is dedicated to children's books (which is great if you’re trying to browse the vast shelves with a kid in tow). I have zero qualms parking my daughter in the kids section - that is conveniently furnished with arm chairs - while I peruse the second floor.

“Our shop has been serving the Richmond community for over two decades. Located in the heart of Richmond’s Carytown district across from the Byrd Theater, the store is staffed by long-time patrons and is a hub for local authors and book lovers alike.” Chris McDaniel

Not long ago, when browsing with a friend, she asked me “How do you find anything you like among so many books?” When all you see are spines upon spines, you need to either know what authors you’re after or rely on the display of featured books - curated by the booksellers. 

To me, this is where Shelf Life shines. I’ve been to warehouse-sized used bookstores and even I get lost among the thousands of titles. Curating relevant second-hand titles and creating a great browsing experience requires forethought and intentional design - which is probably why Shelf Life is one of my favorite spots to shop for used books.

“You can't beat the energy of a busy day, but there's something especially magical about a slow day when someone just camps out in front of a section that interests them and takes their time paging through book after book. It's also great to see the amount of love people have for Page and Mylar - they're the real rock stars of the store.” Chris McDaniel

Chris’ Book Recommendations

• Fiction: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar was one of my favorite novels of 2024. 
• Non-fiction: Two of my favorite non-fiction books of 2024 were under 200 pages:  
  • Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin
  • Becoming Baba Yaga by local Richmond author Kris Spisak

Shelf Life on Bookshop.org

What I bought at Shelf Life

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin